Megmilk Snow Brand
A Japanese dairy and nutrition group whose modern corporate identity was created through the integration of Snow Brand Milk Products and Nippon Milk Community.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Megmilk Snow Brand Co., Ltd. is a major Japanese dairy company and the corporate successor to Snow Brand Milk Products, historically known in Japan as Yukijirushi Nyūgyō. The company operates in the milk and dairy-products sector, with a portfolio spanning packaged milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, ice cream, and related food products. Its consumer identity combines the long-established Snow Brand name with the Megmilk corporate brand. The company’s history is closely connected to the restructuring of Japan’s dairy industry. Snow Brand Milk Products was one of Japan’s largest dairy businesses, but its reputation was severely damaged by a major food-poisoning incident in 2000. More than 14,000 people reportedly became ill after consuming milk contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The incident was described as the worst recorded food-poisoning case in Japan at the time. The company faced intense criticism over the speed and handling of its product recall, and a criminal investigation resulted in professional-negligence charges against senior managers. Two were convicted and received suspended sentences. Following the crisis, Snow Brand underwent significant organizational change. In January 2003, it merged with two agricultural organizations, the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations and the National Federation of Dairy Cooperative Associations, through the establishment of Nippon Milk Community Co. The resulting corporate structure ultimately adopted the Megmilk Snow Brand name. This transformation separated the modern company from the operational and reputational problems associated with the earlier Snow Brand Milk Products organization while retaining the consumer recognition of the Snow Brand name. Megmilk Snow Brand remains principally focused on the Japanese market. Its activities cover consumer dairy products as well as broader dairy-related operations, and the company maintains a presence in the country’s food industry through established product brands and distribution channels. The company also operates a dairy museum in Sapporo, reflecting the historical importance of dairy farming and dairy processing in Hokkaido and in the Snow Brand tradition. The brand is generally positioned around everyday dairy consumption, product quality, food safety, and the heritage associated with Snow Brand. Publicly available reference material confirms the company’s status as one of Japan’s largest dairy businesses, but does not provide enough information here to document a complete current executive roster, detailed international revenue mix, or a full chronology of product launches and marketing campaigns.
History
Megmilk Snow Brand’s institutional history begins in Hokkaido in 1925, when Snow Brand was established from a dairy-farming cooperative tradition. The company’s early identity was closely connected with Japan’s northern dairy region and with the goal of improving the national diet through safe, nutritious milk products. Over time, Snow Brand developed manufacturing and distribution capabilities across milk, butter, cheese, powdered dairy ingredients, and related foods. The Snow Brand business later became one of Japan’s important dairy manufacturers. Its activities expanded beyond fluid milk into processed and natural cheese, butter, margarine, condensed and skim milk, yogurt, desserts, infant nutrition, and functional ingredients. Research became a central part of the organization’s development strategy. The company studied milk components and health functions, including MBP, and developed proprietary lactic-acid-bacteria applications such as Gasseri SP for yogurt and functional foods. Research into breastmilk and infant nutrition also supported the development of childrearing-related products and informed the group’s stated approach to responsible marketing of breastmilk substitutes. Snow Brand’s corporate history was affected by food-safety problems associated with the former Snow Brand business around the beginning of the 2000s. The crisis damaged public trust and became an important part of the company’s subsequent emphasis on quality assurance, traceability, and governance. Later corporate restructuring and consolidation led to the creation of Megmilk Snow Brand Co., Ltd. in 2009 through the integration of Snow Brand Milk Products and Megmilk. The new company combined Snow Brand’s dairy heritage with Megmilk’s operating platform and was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Sapporo Stock Exchange on October 1, 2009. After the integration, the group maintained a broad domestic portfolio while developing international businesses. It continued selling powdered infant nutrition products in Asian markets and used accumulated cheese-manufacturing expertise to build overseas operations. In Indonesia, a joint venture with Rodamas Group established local production and sales of MEG processed Cheddar cheese. The group also retained agricultural and upstream businesses involving seeds, feed, farms, and dairy-related technology, creating links between primary production and consumer food manufacturing. Megmilk Snow Brand’s contemporary strategy places dairy science, health, and sustainability alongside conventional food production. Its business model describes value creation through research into functional ingredients, milk processing, lactic-acid bacteria, and new product formats. The company works with local communities, particularly in Hokkaido, on dairy-farming productivity, environmental practices, food education, childcare, health, tourism, and disaster-prevention initiatives. In May 2025, the group commemorated its 100th anniversary. It used the occasion to restate “Kendo Kenmin,” or the belief that human health depends on a healthy earth, as a purpose and commitment. The group introduced “Love Earth. Love Life.” as a new corporate slogan and set out Future Vision 2050 together with Next Design 2030, a business plan intended to guide the next phase of growth. Today, Megmilk Snow Brand remains an active, publicly listed Japanese food group with domestic dairy leadership, research-based nutrition activities, agricultural operations, and selected international businesses.
- 2025
Corporate identity renewed and Tokyo headquarters relocated
[2]The group renews its corporate identity and relocates its headquarters to Toranomon in Minato-ku, Tokyo.
- 2024
Vietnam processed-cheese operation established
[7]Megmilk Snow Brand Vietnam Co., Ltd. is established in Tay Ninh Province for processed-cheese manufacturing and sales.
- 2021
Plant Label plant-based food brand launched
[2]The group enters the plant-based food market with Plant Label.
- 2020
First beverage-type bone-density functional-claims product launched
[2]Megmilk Snow Brand introduces a beverage-format product carrying a function claim related to bone density.
- 2018
Personal Gasseri SP Strain Yogurt positioned as FOSHU
[2]The company launches a personal-format product under Japan’s Food for Specified Health Uses system.
- 2017
Partially hydrogenated oil removed from household margarine
[2]The company reforms its household margarine portfolio to eliminate partially hydrogenated oil.
- 2015
Gasseri SP Strain Yogurt launched under functional-claims framework
[2]The group launches yogurt containing its proprietary Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055 strain.
- 2012
Processed-cheese joint venture established in Indonesia
[7]The group establishes a joint venture in Indonesia to manufacture and sell processed cheese.
- 2011
Absorption merger creates the consolidated modern group
[2]Megmilk Snow Brand completes an absorption merger involving Nippon Milk Community and Snow Brand Milk Products.
- 2009
Megmilk Snow Brand joint holding company established
[2]Nippon Milk Community and Snow Brand Milk Products are combined under the Megmilk Snow Brand holding company.
Products and positioning
A trusted Japanese dairy and nutrition group combining mass-market household staples with research-based functional foods, infant nutrition, cheese technology, agricultural businesses, and sustainability initiatives.
Butter · 1925
Snow Brand Hokkaido Butter
The foundational butter line of the Snow Brand heritage. Production and sales began in 1925, and the company continues to position butter as one of its longest-standing businesses. The range represents the group’s connection to Hokkaido dairy farming, raw-milk procurement, and traditional dairy-processing expertise.
Processed cheese · 1934
Snow Brand processed cheese
A major product family developed from the group’s early cheese research and large-scale manufacturing capabilities. It includes long-selling packaged cheese products such as 6P Cheese and other formats designed for Japanese eating habits, cooking, snacking, and foodservice.
Natural cheese · 1962
Snow Brand natural cheese
The company’s natural-cheese business includes products such as Hokkaido camembert and string cheese. The range combines domestic manufacturing, traditional cheese-making techniques, and product development targeted to Japanese consumers.
Milk and beverages
Snow Brand milk and milk beverages
The group sells fresh milk, milk beverages, coffee beverages, functional milk drinks, and other chilled or ambient beverages. These products form one of the company’s principal consumer-foods businesses and connect its dairy procurement network with everyday household consumption.
Yogurt and functional foods · 2015
Megumi Gasseri SP Strain Yogurt
A yogurt family built around Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055, a proprietary strain developed by Megmilk Snow Brand. The line includes spoonable and drinkable formats and has been developed within Japan’s functional-claims and FOSHU frameworks.
Functional food · 2002
Mainichi Hone Care MBP
A functional nutrition product containing MBP, a milk-derived protein component discovered through the company’s research. Megmilk Snow Brand markets the product around bone-health and bone-density support, making it an example of the group’s strategy of converting milk research into higher-value nutrition products.
Infant formula
Sukoyaka M1
An infant-formula product managed through Bean Stalk Snow. The company describes it as the result of more than five decades of research related to breast milk and positions it within the group’s domestic and international infant-nutrition business.
Plant-based foods · 2021
Plant Label
A plant-based food brand launched as Megmilk Snow Brand’s entry into the plant-based food market. It extends the company’s food portfolio beyond conventional dairy while retaining the group’s focus on nutrition, food technology, and everyday consumer use.
Powdered milk and nutrition · 1951
Infant powdered milk and nutrition products
The group produces powdered milk, infant formula, functional foods, supplements, and milk-derived functional ingredients. Through overseas subsidiaries and distributors, these products are sold in Asian markets including Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and mainland China.
Agricultural inputs · 1950
Feedstuffs and seed products
Through Snow Brand Seed and related businesses, the group produces and sells cattle feed, pasture and forage-crop seeds, vegetable seeds, and related agricultural products. This business broadens the company’s role from dairy processing into the upstream agricultural value chain.
Controversies
2002
Snow Brand Food fraudulent beef labeling incident
Snow Brand Food, then a subsidiary of Snow Brand Milk Products, was found to have presented inexpensive imported beef as domestic beef in order to exploit a government BSE countermeasures buyback and subsidy program. The scandal produced arrests and further allegations of false labeling, deepened the damage caused by the 2000 crisis, and led to Snow Brand Food’s dissolution in April 2002.
2002
Expired-butter controversy during post-crisis restructuring
Contemporary reporting alleged that Snow Brand Milk Products had used or considered using butter held beyond its freshness date after inventories accumulated following the 2000 crisis. The episode added to public and regulatory criticism of the predecessor company’s quality and inventory controls.
2000
Snow Brand Milk Products food-contamination incident
A power outage and subsequent handling of skim-milk powder at a predecessor plant led to contamination with Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins. The powder was later used in low-fat milk manufactured at the Osaka plant. The company’s delayed recall and public response aggravated the crisis, which sickened 13,420 people according to the group’s corporate-governance account. The incident caused extensive reputational damage, regulatory scrutiny, criminal investigations, management changes, and restructuring.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021Plant Label market entry
Japan
The company launched Plant Label as a new brand for plant-based foods, using the initiative to test growth beyond conventional dairy and respond to changing consumer interest in alternative foods.
Outcome. Plant Label established the group’s presence in the plant-based food category.
- 2017Household margarine reformulation
Japan
Megmilk Snow Brand reformulated all household margarine products to remove partially hydrogenated oil, responding to health concerns associated with trans fats while preserving the products’ intended texture and culinary performance.
Outcome. The reformulation became a portfolio-wide product and health-positioning initiative.
- 2003Days of Pledging to Fulfill Food Responsibility
Japan
Following the 2000 food-contamination incident and the 2002 beef-labeling scandal, the group began holding recurring internal and organizational pledge days in June and January to reinforce food responsibility, compliance, and lessons from the two incidents.
Outcome. The initiative became part of the group’s continuing food-safety and compliance culture.
Brand decisions
2025
Renew corporate identity and relocate headquartersStrategyBackground
The group was preparing for its next phase of growth while commemorating its long dairy heritage and modernizing its corporate platform.
Action taken
Megmilk Snow Brand renewed its corporate identity and moved its headquarters to Toranomon in Minato-ku, Tokyo.
Aftermath
The move reinforced the company’s Tokyo corporate presence while the registered head office remained in Sapporo, preserving its Hokkaido roots.
2024
Invest in startup-oriented innovation and new value creationStrategyBackground
The group’s long-term strategy emphasizes innovation, new businesses, and the use of biotechnology and food science beyond established dairy categories.
Action taken
Megmilk Snow Brand announced an innovation initiative involving investment in Bacchus Bio innovation, a Kobe-based startup.
Aftermath
The initiative strengthened the group’s stated focus on open innovation and future food and nutrition businesses.
2021
Enter plant-based foods with Plant LabelStrategyBackground
Megmilk Snow Brand sought new value-creation opportunities beyond conventional dairy as consumer interest in alternative foods increased.
Action taken
The company launched Plant Label as its new plant-based food brand.
Aftermath
The decision diversified the group’s consumer-food portfolio and created a platform for non-dairy product development.
2017
Eliminate partially hydrogenated oil from household margarineproduct_generationBackground
Health concerns surrounding industrial trans fats created pressure to reformulate margarine while maintaining consumer-expected taste and spreadability.
Action taken
The company improved all household margarine products so they no longer used partially hydrogenated oil.
Aftermath
The portfolio reformulation supported a cleaner nutritional profile and was incorporated into the company’s product-development narrative.
2012
Establish processed-cheese joint venture in IndonesiaM&ABackground
The company identified Asia as a growth region for dairy consumption and sought local manufacturing capability.
Action taken
Megmilk Snow Brand established a joint venture in Indonesia to manufacture and sell processed cheese.
Aftermath
The Indonesian operation became part of the group’s international dairy-products platform and regional expansion strategy.
2011
Complete absorption merger of predecessor operating companiesM&ABackground
The holding-company structure was followed by a further legal consolidation of the operating businesses.
Action taken
Megmilk Snow Brand conducted an absorption merger involving Nippon Milk Community and Snow Brand Milk Products.
Aftermath
The company became the consolidated operating group that continues under the Megmilk Snow Brand name.
2009
Create Megmilk Snow Brand through group integrationM&ABackground
Snow Brand Milk Products and Nippon Milk Community had undergone extensive restructuring and needed a unified corporate framework for dairy and food operations.
Action taken
The two companies were brought together under the Megmilk Snow Brand joint holding company on October 1, 2009.
Aftermath
The integration created the modern corporate identity and prepared the group for a later absorption merger.
2003
Separate and consolidate beverages and desserts through Nippon Milk CommunityStrategyBackground
The predecessor group was restructuring after the 2000 food-contamination crisis and seeking a clearer separation of businesses and operating responsibilities.
Action taken
The beverages and desserts businesses of Snow Brand Milk Products, Zen-Noh Chokuhan, and Japan Milk Net were combined to form Nippon Milk Community.
Aftermath
The move created a distinct operating platform that was later recombined with Snow Brand Milk Products under the Megmilk Snow Brand structure.
Recent events
- 2026
Megmilk Snow Brand reports fiscal-year net sales of ¥615.7 billion and operating profit of ¥18.2 billion[14]
Other
The company’s investor information reported fiscal-year ended March 31, 2026 net sales of ¥615.7 billion and operating profit of ¥18.2 billion.
- 2025
Megmilk Snow Brand publishes its 2025 integrated report[9]
strategy
The report describes the group’s value-creation model, long-term vision, sustainability priorities, research, governance, business portfolio, and financial information.
- 2025
Corporate identity renewed and headquarters relocated to Toranomon[2]
strategy · Other
The company renewed its corporate identity and moved its headquarters to Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, while retaining its registered head office in Sapporo.
- 2024
Megmilk Snow Brand enters innovation partnership with Bacchus Bio innovation[12]
M&A · Other
The company announced an investment-related innovation initiative involving Bacchus Bio innovation, a Kobe-based startup, as part of efforts to create new businesses.
- 2024
Megmilk Snow Brand reports research on direct observation of butter structure[12]
Other
The company reported a world-first confirmation that atomic-force microscopy could directly observe butter while preserving its organizational structure, with possible implications for butter quality and flavor research.
- 2024
Bifidobacterium adolescentis SBT2786 study linked to sleep-quality improvement[12]
Other
Megmilk Snow Brand reported human research findings indicating that its Bifidobacterium adolescentis SBT2786 may improve sleep quality.
- 2024
Megmilk Snow Brand establishes Vietnamese processed-cheese operation[7]
M&A · Other
The group listed Megmilk Snow Brand Vietnam Co., Ltd., established in May 2024 in Tay Ninh Province, as a manufacturing and sales operation for processed cheese.
- 2021
Megmilk Snow Brand launches Plant Label plant-based food brand[2]
Product launch
The group entered the plant-based food market with Plant Label, extending its portfolio beyond conventional dairy.
- 2020
Megmilk Snow Brand launches beverage-type food with function claims for bone density[2]
Product launch
The company introduced its first beverage-type product carrying a food-with-function-claims positioning related to increasing bone density.
- 2018
Personal Gasseri SP Strain Yogurt receives FOSHU positioning[2]
Product launch · Regulation
Megmilk Snow Brand launched a personal-format Gasseri SP Strain Yogurt positioned as a Food for Specified Health Uses product.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Sources14 sources
- 1Megmilk Snow Brand corporate overviewmeg-snow.com
- 2Megmilk Snow Brand historymeg-snow.com
- 3Megmilk Snow Brand business overviewmeg-snow.com
- 4Dairy products businessmeg-snow.com
- 5Beverages and desserts businessmeg-snow.com
- 6Nutrition businessmeg-snow.com
- 7International businessmeg-snow.com
- 8Board of directors and executive officersmeg-snow.com
- 9Megmilk Snow Brand Report 2025meg-snow.com
- 10Corporate ethics committee and historical food incidentsmeg-snow.com
- 11Megmilk Snow Brand Wikipedia articleen.wikipedia.org
- 12Invest in startup-oriented innovation and new value creationmeg-snow.com
- 13Expired-butter controversy during post-crisis restructuringjapantimes.co.jp
- 14雪印惠乳业公布财年净销售额6157亿日元、营业利润182亿日元meg-snow.com
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